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The Xbox One has come a long way since its 2013 debut. Microsoft has fixed the console's hardware flaws with the One S and the recently released One X, but now it has a different problem to address: a dearth of compelling games you can't play anywhere else. In recent years the company has relied on timed third-party exclusives that eventually make their way to other platforms or are also available on Windows and Steam.

It happens on PS4 as well, but the difference there is that Sony has a wide assortment of games that you can only play on its console. That's not to say there aren't exclusive games worth playing on Xbox; it's just that they're buried among annual Forza racing games, middling modern Halo releases and the testosterone-fueled Gears of War franchise. Microsoft has promised to break out of that predictable release cadence, though, so the future could be brighter than you may have come to expect. As it stands, these are the best Xbox One games you can play right now.

A large part of Minecraft's allure is showing off your work. And now, it should be relatively easy to do that in real time. Mojang has released an update that lets you livestream directly to Microsoft Mixer (its parent company's service, naturally) from within the game on Android devices, Windows 10 PCs and Xbox One consoles. If you've just finished recreating an entire country, you can take people on a live tour without starting a broadcast in a separate app or service first. And your audience doesn't have to simply watch, either.

The Minecraft team had a bunch of news at their MineCon Earth convention, but the biggest news may be what's not happening. Mojang and Microsoft have delayed the launches of both the Super Duper Graphics Pack and cross-platform Switch multiplayer to sometime in 2018. They're not elaborating on the reasons behind the delay, but in both cases the features simply aren't finished. More information on the graphics delay is coming "soon," according to the creators.

YouTube has been steadily improving its Kids app for youngsters lately, and now Mountain View is giving it a bit of a revamp. Parents will be able to create profiles for each of their kids now, and even better, they'll be accessible regardless of the device you're using. More than that, when you're doing account setup your little one's landing page will adjust based on their age. A blog post says that the younger the kid, the profile will have less text, for example.

Minecraft players who love the upside down of Stranger Things have a new skin pack to acquire. It's available now in concert with the new season of the hit retro-horror show on Netflix. It looks like the whole cast is represented as a Minecraft character, including Hopper, Mike, Eleven, Dustin, Lucas and Will.

Gaming-focused chat app Discord is partnering with developers on official chat channels. Verified Servers are places where a game's community can hang out, talk and get news straight from the teams that made the games. Think of them like official forums, but with real-time communication versus asynchronous. Just look for the checkmark badge next to a server profile and you should be good to go. Developers can even add Discord badges to their website's social links and directly to their game's main menu. As Polygon notes, so far Minecraft, Offworld, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds and Supercell have set up shop.

Microsoft just launched its latest bid to bring its services into every aspect of schools and the workforce. To begin with, it's offering its all-encompassing Microsoft 365 subscription to education. Schools can pay a single per-person rate to get Windows 10, Office 365, the Enterprise Mobility and Security Suite and even Minecraft: Education Edition. Office 365 for Education is already free, but Microsoft is betting that all the other perks will be worth it for faculty that wants a one-stop shop for the software they need. It'll be available on October 1st -- too late for the return to school, so don't be surprised if you don't see this used in earnest until the winter semester or next fall.

The Better Together update brings the biggest set of changes to hit Minecraft in years, expanding the Community Marketplace, streamlining access to third-party servers and uniting the game across platforms -- and it's all live today. Well, most of it is.

Better Together is rolling out across Xbox One, Windows 10, virtual-reality and mobile versions of Minecraft right now, but it won't hit the Switch until later this year. Microsoft's original plan, which it unveiled at E3 in June, was to launch Better Together on Switch at the same time as the other platforms (hence the title of the update).

PlayStation 4 was never part of the equation for this initial rollout.

"We just flat-out couldn't get those two completely in sync," Microsoft Studios Corporate Vice President Matt Booty says.

If you went to school in the US in the early 1990s, chances are you have fond memories of playing the computer game The Oregon Trail. Now, schoolchildren around the world will be able to replicate that experience thanks to a new Minecraft: Education Edition integration.

Surprise! Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition is out today on the Nintendo eShop, with a physical version coming in the future. The game is playable on the New 3DS, New 3DS XL and New 2DS XL -- leaving original 2DS, 3DS and 3DS XL owners in the dust.

How devoted are you to Minecraft? Devoted enough that you want your console to be a living, breathing representation of the construction game? If so, you're in luck. Microsoft has unveiled a limited edition Minecraft Xbox One S that drapes the entire console in Mojang's blocky art style. There's a grass block on the front, a transparent, redstone-laced bottom and a Creeper-themed green controller (there's an optional pink, pig-themed gamepad). Naturally, it'll include a copy of Minecraft (with the Better Together update).

Minecon has been a popular event for Minecraft fans since 2010, but this year the good people of Mojang are switching it up. Instead of a physical convention, it will host Minecon Earth -- an interactive, live show that will be streamed online.

Minecraft is all about creating 3D worlds, but sharing them outside of the game has always been a 2D experience -- you're sharing screenshots and videos like with any other game. Microsoft wants to do something better. It's releasing a beta version of its Better Together Update that, in addition to cross-platform play (more on that later), lets you export your creations in 3D. If you have Windows 10, you can use Paint 3D and Remix3D.com to showcase your work from every angle.

As strange as it sounds, Minecraft got the novelization treatment, and the final product is now out for purchase. The good news is that the Mojang team put Microsoft's millions to good use by commissioning Max Brooks, author of the apocalyptic zombie novel World War Z.Minecraft: The Island apparently tells the story of a hero who got stranded on a mysterious island and ends up unraveling its secrets.

Nickelodeon and a handful of other investors -- including professional sports-team owners -- have just thrown $15 million at Super League Gaming, an organization that holds amateur eSports tournaments in movie theaters across the US for kids, teens and adults. Super League is best known for its national Minecraft championship, which last year paid out $15,000 to a winning team of kids age 10 to 14, though it also regularly holds nationwide League of Legends tournaments for players of any age.

Welcome back to Gaming IRL, a monthly segment where several editors talk about what they've been playing in their downtime.

Gaming IRL is part of a broader series in which you'll find stories from all of the areas we cover: gadgets we use every day, the apps and services we adore, what we're watching and the music and podcasts we can't live without.

Today is all about gaming. E3 is done and dusted for another year, but every year there are dozens of great games released, all of which are available right now. Fittingly, our picks this month range from a 1997 sim all the way up to a game that was released just today.

The best demonstration of the Xbox One X's 4K capabilities comes from an unlikely, blocky source: Minecraft. Behind closed doors at E3 2017, Microsoft showed off a handful of games it upgraded to 4K just for the Xbox One X, including Gears of War 4, but Mojang's cube-based crafting game clearly got the most drastic upgrade. When the free 4K update and the Super Duper Graphics Pack lands in the fall, those blobs of grass will transform into blades. See for yourself:

You won't have to spring for new games to take advantage of the Xbox One X's 4K prowess. Microsoft is updating several of its own games to play in 4K on the newer console. In addition to the already-announced Minecraft upgrade, you can expect to see the higher resolution in Gears of War 4, Forza Horizon 3, Killer Instinct and Halo Wars 2 (what, no Halo 5?), among others. Unsurprisingly, all of the updates will be free -- Microsoft wants there to be as many One X-ready titles as possible.

Minecraft isn't just getting unified online play this year -- it's also receiving a huge image quality boost. Microsoft and Mojang have unveiled a Super Duper Graphics Pack (no really, that's the name) that will give the building game a major visual upgrade, including 4K resolution, high dynamic range, sharper textures and loads of special effects (including light rays and fancier water). Logically, you'll need an Xbox One X or a beefy Windows 10 PC to get the 4K HDR experience. The add-on is free when it arrives this fall, and the developers are quick to stress that it's strictly optional -- you can stick to the regular graphics if the Super Duper pack feels blasphemous to you.

Minecraft is about to enter its final form. In August, the Better Together update will land and unify the game across nearly every platform, from iOS and Android to Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. This unification comes courtesy of the Bedrock Engine, which currently powers all mobile, Windows 10, Amazon Fire and VR versions of the game. Now, it won't matter which platform your friends use to play Minecraft -- every version will be the same, they'll share DLC and updates, and all players will be able to create new worlds together.

Well, nearly all. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox 360 versions of Minecraft are not included in the initial "Better Together" update.

"Beginning with Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, we'll be expanding that code base so that all -- the vast majority of our community is united," marketing lead Emily Orrson says.

Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition lands on May 11th, bringing the world's most popular sandbox to yet another gaming platform. Minecraft on Switch supports the Pro controller and up to eight players online, or four locally in split-screen mode. Plus, it comes with the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack, which throws classic Mario characters and locations directly into the game.

For many, the biggest limitation of Minecraft's Pocket and Windows 10 Editions has been the lack of community material. What good is playing on your phone if you can't try out that sweet new texture pack you saw on your PC? You're about to get that option. Microsoft and Mojang are launching a Marketplace that lets both Pocket and Windows 10 gamers download content from community creators, including skins, textures and whole worlds. You don't buy any paid content directly -- instead, you buy "Minecraft Coins" that let you snap up the add-ons you want. It's ostensibly to help producers set "flexible prices," although it also helps mask the value of what you're buying. You might not want to let kids have unfettered access, in other words.

If you've been looking to play Minecraft with your other Apple TV-owning gamer buddies, it's time to get excited. The latest update to the Apple TV version of this hit game enables "Realms," Minecraft's subscription-based multiplayer system. This upgraded version also includes Xbox Live authentication support, which will let players access their linked avatars and character skins.

Now that YouTube has dipped its toes into the wild world of original programming, the company has plans to launch four new shows this spring aimed at children and pre-teens. The YouTube Kids app will get two live-action and two animated series starring some popular YouTube creators including DanTDM and the hosts of TheAtlanticCraft, with more series scheduled to debut throughout the year.